The objective is to win points by making a legal return that the opponent cannot return legally in turn. A point is played out on a table divided by a low net; the ball must bounce once on the server's side, clear the net, and bounce on the receiver's side, after which each player must strike it so it lands on the opponent's half. Every failure to do so, a miss, a ball into the net, a shot off the end or side, hands the opponent a point.
Modern matches are governed by the ITTF's 11-point system, introduced in 2001, played as the best of an odd number of games, most often five or seven. Because serve alternates every two points and ends are swapped each game, momentum shifts constantly. There is no clock: a game ends only when one player reaches 11 points with a two-point margin, so a tight game can extend well past 11 into deuce.
Scoring at a glance
Core rules
The service
The server holds the ball on an open, flat, stationary palm behind the end line, then tosses it near-vertically at least 16cm without imparting spin. The ball must be struck as it descends, from above the level of the playing surface and behind the end line, so the receiver has a clear view. On the serve only, the ball may bounce anywhere on either half; in singles there are no diagonal restrictions. A serve that touches the net but is otherwise legal is a let and replayed.
The rally and return
After a legal serve, each player must make a good return: striking the ball so that it passes over or around the net and touches the opponent's court. Crucially, the ball must first bounce on your own side before you play it, there is no volleying as in tennis. Play continues until one side fails to return the ball legally. The ball is in play from the last moment it is stationary on the server's palm until the point is decided.
Winning a point
A player scores when the opponent fails to make a good service or return, lets the ball bounce twice on their own side, strikes the ball twice deliberately, moves the table, touches the net assembly, or touches the playing surface with the free hand. A player also wins the point if the opponent's shot fails to clear the net, sails off the end, or lands off the table entirely. The receiver even scores if the ball touches anything other than the net before the opponent hits it.
Changing service
Service passes from one player to the other after every two points, regardless of who won them. Once the score reaches 10-10 (deuce), service alternates after every single point until a player leads by two. In doubles the serve must be diagonal from the server's right half to the receiver's right half, and partners must alternate striking the ball throughout each rally, adding a strict order-of-play dimension absent from singles.
The let
A let is a rally that is replayed with no point awarded. The most common let is a served ball that clips the top of the net yet still lands correctly on the receiver's side. Play is also let if the receiver was not ready, if the ball breaks during a rally, or if play is disturbed by an outside event. Unlike a fault, a let carries no penalty; the same server simply serves again at the same score.
The racket and rubbers
A racket (blade) may be any size and shape but its striking surface must be covered with approved rubber. The two sides must be clearly different colours, historically one bright red and one black, so opponents can read which surface, and therefore which spin characteristics, is being used. Rubbers range from grippy inverted sheets for heavy spin to short or long pimples that disrupt it. Boosting or altering rubber with banned volatile compounds is prohibited under the post-speed-glue regulations.
The table and net
The table measures 2.74m by 1.525m and stands 76cm high, its dark matte surface bounded by a 2cm white sideline and end line. A net 15.25cm high spans the middle, its cord level and taut. The whole edge of the table is in play: a ball that strikes the top surface at the very edge is good, but one that hits the vertical side face is out. This live edge produces some of the sport's most fortunate and infuriating winners.
Changing ends
Players switch ends after each game. In the deciding game of a match, the two swap ends again as soon as one side reaches 5 points, so neither player is disadvantaged by a difference in lighting, background or table position for a full final game. Between games players are entitled to a short break, and each side may call one timeout of up to one minute during a match.
Fouls & penalties
Illegal (hidden) serve
The most policed violation. Umpires fault a serve if the ball is not tossed at least 16cm, is thrown with spin, is struck below the table level, or is concealed from the receiver by any part of the body or free arm. Since strict enforcement began, players must clear the free arm away from the ball at contact. A first doubtful serve may draw a warning, but a clear infraction is an immediate point to the opponent.
Touching the table or net
A player loses the point if the free hand touches the playing surface during a rally, or if any part of the body or racket moves the table or touches the net assembly while the ball is in play. Leaning in to reach a short ball is legal, but bracing on the table with the non-playing hand is not. This rule keeps players from stabilising themselves against the table to reach otherwise unreachable balls.
Double hit and obstruction
The ball may be struck only once per return; a deliberate double contact loses the point. Obstruction occurs when a player touches the ball with racket or hand before it has bounced on their own side, effectively volleying, which is illegal and awards the point to the opponent. This is the fault that most clearly separates table tennis from lawn tennis, where volleying is central.
Conduct and coaching penalties
Umpires enforce behaviour with a yellow-card warning followed by penalty points: a first offence after warning concedes one point, the next two points. Infractions include time-wasting, abusing equipment, unsportsmanlike gestures, or illegal coaching between points. While on-bench coaching is now permitted at every point in many events, disruptive or excessive coaching can still be sanctioned, and repeated misconduct can lead to disqualification from the match.
Free-arm and clothing interference
If a player's free hand, sleeve or clothing touches the ball in play, the point is lost. Similarly, if the ball strikes anything the player is wearing before a legal return is completed, it counts against them. Because rallies happen at extreme close range, brushing the ball with a wristband or shirt is a genuine hazard, and umpires award the point to the opponent whenever such contact alters the ball's flight.
Match format
An individual match is played as the best of an odd number of 11-point games, five (first to three games) at most events and seven (first to four) at World Championship and Olympic latter stages. There is no time limit in normal play; a game continues until a two-point margin is reached. To prevent stalling in the era of ultra-defensive play, the expedite rule can be invoked if a game reaches 10 minutes without conclusion, after which the receiver wins the point if they make 13 good returns, forcing the server to attack.
Team events use their own structures, most famously the World Team Championships contested for the Swaythling Cup (men) and Corbillon Cup (women), where nations field several players across a series of singles and sometimes doubles matches. Olympic and World Championship team ties are typically best-of-five matches with a fixed running order. Winners of the whole competition are decided by match count, and in knockout stages a single lost match can eliminate even the strongest nation.
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